


17) Dancing with the train

by Munnin



Series: Hugin Chronicles [17]
Category: Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Animal Death, Major Character Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 06:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10961823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Munnin/pseuds/Munnin
Summary: No matter how mighty you think you are, nature will still humble you.





	17) Dancing with the train

**Author's Note:**

> Red Mist Squad based on characters created by Joe Hogan for the [ The Siren of Dathomir](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3z0kyf53Ds) and [ Panic Over Muunilinst ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3-_EnhMEDE). Stolen, run away with, and abused with his permission.

As they raced along the bluff Tahl lifted his head, pushing his visor back as he cut speed. He looked around, nostrils flaring as he scented the air. He gave a dismayed grunt and swung the bike around, riding where a steep drop off afforded him a clearer view. 

The valley below them was on fire, flames flowing down its length and lapping up the sides like a flood. The air hummed with the sound of it, heat driving the wildlife ahead of it. The path between them and the battle was ablaze. No way through. 

Or so it seemed.

Crispy scanned the surroundings. They couldn't move on, not without a major detour. Gunship extraction was probably not an option. Not enough Cryo grenades to put out the fire. Crispy could probably survive in the flames for a while. The armour was pretty resistant. But Hugin would have no protection.

Tahl chewed his lip a moment, his expression thoughtful. Finally, he turned the speeder sharply, gesturing Crispy to follow. It seemed as if they were riding away from the direction they needed to be in but soon enough the landscape dipped and they broke through the tight packed trees to a wide steam. 

The speeders skimmed over the shallow water at the stream’s edges, throwing up spray in their wake as the stream joined a larger river. 

Another roar, as loud as the fire grew over the hum of their bikes as Tahl lead them to the edge of a deepening lake. A lake that emptied over the cliff-face in a massive tiered waterfall. A series of lakes and drops that fed the river more than a thousand metres below. 

Tahl drew his bike to a stop, moving to the cliff edge where the lake’s shore met the first drop. He looked over the edge, fighting a dizzying burst of vertigo.

It was possible. 

If he calculated speed and distance right. 

If they cranked up the repulsors on the bikes and ran at it. 

If they could get enough air to fall past the base of the falls on the second ledge. 

The pool there was both deep and wide but if they came down too close, the aerated water would hold them under, negating their natural buoyance. They’d drown before they could reach the surface. 

Too far and they would be washed off the second fall and into the third, aptly known as the Roiling Cauldron.

But if they could make safely to the second pool, they could climb down around the Cauldron. Local legend had it there were caves behind the last short drop of the Cauldron. Places they could wait for the fire to pass.

Smoke was raising behind them. The fire had clawed its way up the cliff sides and was spreading down the valley they had just followed. Soon enough they’d be out of choices.

Crispy watched Hugin, remembering all too vividly the battle on Kamino. Being blown into the water. The shattering hardness of it as he hit the surface. “No. There has to be another way.” He hated the rising note of fear that he couldn’t keep from leaking out. 

Tahl shrugged and gestured about them. What other option was there? He too felt fear rising in his gut but without the memories to connect it to, he was able to push them back.

Get far enough back, go at it full tilt, let the repulsors and the speed carry them. 

And hope.

He crouched down next to his speeder and started dialling up the repulsors, the bike lifting further and further off the ground. He gestured for Crispy to do the same.

Something howled in the distance, inhuman and feral and Tahl whipped out his blaster. Bringing the visor down in a smooth gesture, he dropped to one knee. Steading the blaster with both hands, he sighted back along the river. His breathing quickened, the pulse in his neck jumping. 

“What is it?” Crispy called, drawing his own blaster. 

He flashed a hand at Crispy for silence, straining to hear over the thunder of the falls. 

Then they were on them. Four large black forms; feline, sleek and predatorial. They broke the treeline running ahead of the fire. Easily as high as the clones’ hip, the creatures snarled and hissed, lips drawn back from long fangs. 

The massive cats circled the two clones, flanking like a pack to push Crispy and Tahl against the water’s edge. 

Crispy raised his blaster, glancing to Tahl, but Tahl’s weapon was down. 

Tahl was stock still; not as he had at the camp, but as if he was memorised, unable to look away. Slowly, ever so slowly, he holstered his blaster and pushed up his visor. His eyes were saucer wide, his breathing very fast.

A horrifying thought occurred to Crispy. Did these creatures have some hypnotic power? To lure their prey in? There was no mistaking those teeth for any herbivore. Tahl certainly seemed hypnotised. He was even slowly taking off his glove, holding his hand out to the massive predator. 

The closest cat inched forward in a stalking crouch, long dagger teeth bared as it sniffed the air.

Sniffed Tahl’s fingers. 

Then pressed against him, running it’s face against his outstretched hand. 

What happened after that happened so quickly

There was another explosion. The ground shook and the trees bend with the force of the shockwave. 

A shockwave that knocked Crispy off his feet.

The creature snarled in pair and lashed out in panic, it’s dagger claws digging into Tahl’s arm. The leather jacket tore like tissue, the flesh beneath with it. 

Crispy lifted the blaster to fire, aiming to kill.

Something hit his back. Hard. Driving him forward. Driving him into Tahl’s bike, into the creature. Into Tahl. 

Claws imbedded in his armour, dragging him forward. Man, machine, and creature tangled as they all went over the falls. 

***

A sound woke Crispy. Some repeated, insistent sound, oddly tinny. It took a long time for him to realise what he was hearing was someone shouting his name from within the helmet lying next to him on the narrow ledge of stone between cliff and water. 

He tried to speak, tried to form words but they wouldn’t come, instead rolling onto his side to vomit rusty water. 

He looked around, moving slowly to hold back the waves of nausea that hammered at him. 

“CRISPY! REPORT!” Fordo’s voice echoed around the inside of his bucket but Crispy couldn’t answer. Not past the lump of grief swelling his throat. A dozen metres away, near the lip of the next falls was Hugin, still entangled in the sodden corpse of the beast. 

Crispy pushed himself back into the water. Splashing, falling, and pulling himself up again to reach his brother. He had to reach Hugin before the fast-flowing water and the weight of the dead creature dragged him over. He grabbed at the torn sleeve of Hugin’s jacket, meaning to pull his brother back from the edge. His hands slipped and he stumbled again, fighting the current as his gloves coming away bloody.

There was no arm left under that sleeve.

He fought not to throw up again, his ears ringing.

It took all he had left to grab at Hugin’s belt and haul him back from the precipice. Made harder by the fact Hugin and the beast were locked in a fatal embrace, forcing him to pull them both to the shore. 

He slipped his fingers inside Hugin’s collar, almost crying out with relief as he felt the weakest of pulses. 

And then he understood why the creature had fought so fiercely for life. Caught between Hugin’s body and the animal’s were two tiny sodden balls of fur, miraculously alive and mewing.

Tucking the kittens inside his breastplate for warmth, Crispy set about freeing Hugin from their mother’s claws.

***

“I can see them, Captain.” Ridley called, spying the pair through his scope. Crispy sat on the lake’s edge, Hugin cradled in his arms. 

Skate brought the ship around, fighting the eddies wiped up by the waterfall and thermals of the firestorm. He hovered against the edge of the cliff so the others could jump out, throwing stretchers ahead of them as Fernie jumped down, largest medical kit strapped to his back.

Fordo crouched down next to Crispy as they reached their brothers, resting a hand on his lieutenant’s shoulder. “You did it, Crispy. You brought him home.” 

Crispy’s breathing hitched, as if only just realising they were there. Instinctively he fought as Fernie and Linc prized Hugin out of his arms. In the end, Fordo had to hold him as the others lifted Hugin away.

“I didn’t-” Crispy hiccupped; fighting fatigue, injury, and hysteria. “Didn’t bring all of him.” 

Fordo looked up to see Fernie replacing the scarf around Hugin’s shoulder with a more effective tourniquet. He nodded sadly and reached for something in the kit, pressing it against Crispy’s neck. “You did well. Now rest.” 

Fordo supported Crispy as they lifted him onto the second stretcher.  


 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally written for a very specific group of people. I've only started posting it here as a way of keeping it all together. But I seem to be getting more hits than the group I wrote it for. 
> 
> Don't get me wrong, that's awesome! Surprising but awesome. I really didn't think anyone else would want to read it. 
> 
> If you're not someone who knows me personally and are still following along with this little piece of madness, please give me a wave? I'd love to talk to you about this story and how I can make it better. If you are out there, let me know! 
> 
> Thanks!


End file.
